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HOST-PARASITE CO-EVOLUTION. "The organisms faced off against some pretty nasty viruses, ones that quickly overcame the easy ways of becoming resistant...This left only more and more complex options for co-evolving hosts. We thought to ourselves, maybe the organisms that were more readily adaptable than the others, more evolvable, would be the ones left standing at the end of the experiments...the long-lasting hosts were indeed more evolvable." https://lnkd.in/dkJprEM View in LinkedIn

SO ENDS this first of two weekends on the extraordinary phenomena of flatfish metamorphosis. Next weekend will focus on chemical and genetic changes in this acrobat of disguise changes, and some of the physiological impact of this lifestyle. Perhaps the next time you have a plate of Dover sole, you will view its little body with greater sympathy and wonder. View in LinkedIn

TRIANGULATION OF SENSES. "It is known that balance in many upright swimming fish is sustained through interactions between the directions of light and gravity such that a typical fish will tilt towards a lateral light source until a new balance with its gravistatic senses is reached." https://lnkd.in/d9EMwRb View in LinkedIn

BETTER VISION. "As the larva transforms into a settled juvenile the head remodels asymmetrically and one eye is repositioned to the opposite side, giving the settled fish the distinct advantage of a broad visual panorama with two eyes on its `top' side. As metamorphosis progresses, flatfish larvae spend less time swimming and more time settled with their `blind' side touching the ground." https://lnkd.in/dxtUYFT View in LinkedIn

“WICKED, another Mirai-based botnet variant, recently added at least three new exploits to its toolkit, enabling it to target unpatched IoT devices better.” https://lnkd.in/dBM3R6W View in LinkedIn

MANY CHANGES. "Body swim-posture changes during flounder metamorphosis as one eye migrates to the opposite side of the head.” https://lnkd.in/d9EMwRb View in LinkedIn

BOTNET SWARMS. “The Hide ‘N Seek IoT botnet, first detected this past spring, has moved the bar significantly closer to enabling a botnet to function as a swarm. It communicates in a complex and decentralized manner using custom-built peer-to-peer communication to implement a variety of malicious routines. It also leverages multiple anti-tampering techniques to prevent a third party from hijacking or poisoning it, and it is also the first IoT botnet malware strain that can survive device reboots and still remain on compromised devices.” https://lnkd.in/dBM3R6W View in LinkedIn

WHOLESALE CHANGES. "The external transformation in flatfish morphology is accompanied by a plethora of changes in the structure and function of tissues and organs." https://lnkd.in/du68ipH View in LinkedIn

MALWARE ADVANTAGE. “Not only will this emerging development accelerate the time required to breach a system, but the sheer volume that can be applied by a swarm-based botnet targeting multiple devices and exploits simultaneously can quickly overwhelm traditional defense systems.” https://lnkd.in/dBM3R6W View in LinkedIn

EYE MIGRATION. "All adult flatfishes (Pleuronectiformes), including the gastronomically familiar plaice, sole, turbot and halibut, have highly asymmetrical skulls, with both eyes placed on one side of the head. This arrangement, one of the most extraordinary anatomical specializations among vertebrates, arises through migration of one eye during late larval development." https://lnkd.in/dXkc9jF View in LinkedIn